adrenaline
1 use
But I wanted to be with Viviana, away from the war cries, thebloodshed, away from the adrenalin pumping up our speech and walk.†
Adrenalin = a trademark name for the chemical that is the "fight or flight" stimulating hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
Definition
Generally adrenaline means:"fight or flight" stimulating hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress (making the body feel excited and ready for action)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 10 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
ambivalent
1 use
Mr. Madison handed it to me without a word and shook my hand, looking ambivalent.†
ambivalent = with mixed feelings
Definition
Generally ambivalent means:having mixed feelings about something — such as when part of you wants to do something and part of you does not
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |
capitalism
3 uses
It's capitalism: Cutthroat, profit-motivated and expedient.
capitalism = an economic system based on private ownership of property and businesses, and on voluntary exchange in a competitive environment
Definition
Generally capitalism means:an economic system based on private ownership of property and businesses, and on voluntary exchange in a competitive environment — with the belief that voluntary exchanges harness inborn self-interest in millions of decisions that benefit society
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Pref. |
censor
5 uses
According to the American Library Association, it is one of the 100 most censored books in the United States.†
censored = removed or suppressed something considered obscene, immoral, or politically unacceptable
Definition
Generally this sense of censor means:to remove or suppress anything considered obscene, immoral, or politically unacceptable
or:
a person who does such suppression
or:
a person who does such suppression
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Intr. |
contend
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
She contended for the gold medal
Ruben Navarro — also known as The Maravilla Kid — was then a contender for the world's featherweight title.†
contender = contestant (competitor) or challenger
Definition
Generally this sense of contend means:to compete
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
controversial
2 uses
But the most controversial one dealt with getting Lomas and Sangra to stop fighting each other.†
controversial = tending to arouse strong disagreement
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
converge
4 uses
Girls from barrios all over converged on the bungalow-type gym.†
converged = came together
Definition
Generally converge means:to come together; or to be adjacent or similar
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
disdain
4 uses
Up until then my brother had never shown any emotion to me other than disdain.†
disdain = a lack of respect
Definition
Generally disdain means:a lack of respect — often suggesting distaste and an undeserved sense of superiority
or:
to reject as not good enough
or:
to reject as not good enough
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
evoke
2 uses
I hollered and evoked my mother's name.†
evoked = called forth or caused
Definition
Generally evoke means:to call forth or cause — typically to arouse an emotion or bring a memory to mind
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
incarcerate
5 uses
How can I claim my book has changed lives when my own son is incarcerated?†
incarcerated = imprisoned (put in prison)
Definition
Generally incarcerate means:put in prison, or otherwise confine
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |
inquiry
3 uses
The constant questioning, inquiries which entertained but also had something daring — or foolish — in the asking, failed to materialize.†
inquiries = questions or investigations
Definition
Generally inquiry means:the act of asking a question or performing an investigation
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
lucrative
2 uses
With little productive to do, drug selling becomes a lucrative means of survival.†
lucrative = profitable
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Pref. |
mystic
7 uses
"Thee Mystics rule," one of them yelled from the other side of the school fence.†
mystics = people said to comprehend reality using supernatural means
Definition
Generally mystic means:relating to realities that are outside of scientific understanding and normal experience; or one who attempts to tune into such realities
Word Statistics
| Book | 7 uses |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 2 |
passage
1 use
But I looked strangely at the book in front of me as someone read a passage out loud.†
passage = a short part of a longer written work
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
precede
1 use
Although PCP preceded the crack epidemic, it was enough to make blabbering idiots of once-vigorous boys and girls.†
preceded = went or was before
Definition
Generally precede means:to go or do before
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 10 |
primarily
5 uses
We ended up in Watts, a community primarily of black people except for La Colonia, often called The Quarter — the Mexican section and the oldest part of Watts.†
primarily = mainly
Definition
Generally primarily means:mainly (most importantly)
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Pref. |
rehabilitate
6 uses
I've visited numerous prisons, juvenile detention centers, sober-living homes and rehabilitation centers.†
rehabilitation = to restore someone to a state of good condition
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
Definition
Generally rehabilitate means:to restore someone (or more rarely, something) to a state of good condition — such as recovery from addiction, illness, prison, or poor reputation
Word Statistics
| Book | 6 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Intr. |
sensuous
1 use
As she turned toward me, I pulled her near me and our lips touched, a light contact, but driven by sensuous quest.
sensuous = relating to pleasure from the body's senses rather than from the intellect
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 9 |
strata
1 use
They are members of a social stratum which includes welfare mothers, housing project residents, immigrant families, the homeless and unemployed.
stratum = class
(editor's note: Strata, the plural form of this word is used much more commonly than the singular form. Many Latin words that end in "um" are made plural by changing the "um" to "a"—such as stratum to strata, bacterium to bacteria, and millennium to millennia. In modern writing, changing the "um" to "ums" is also accepted for many Latin words ending in um, but not for any of those listed above.)
(editor's note: Strata, the plural form of this word is used much more commonly than the singular form. Many Latin words that end in "um" are made plural by changing the "um" to "a"—such as stratum to strata, bacterium to bacteria, and millennium to millennia. In modern writing, changing the "um" to "ums" is also accepted for many Latin words ending in um, but not for any of those listed above.)
Definition
Generally strata means:layers
or:
levels, classes, or groups into which people or other things are divided
or:
levels, classes, or groups into which people or other things are divided
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Pref. |
swagger
4 uses
Nurses swaggered in, bothered and tired.†
swaggered = walked or behaved in a highly confident manner
Definition
Generally swagger means:walk or behave in a highly confident or proud manner — often arrogant and sometimes to impress or intimidate others
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |